Combined latch and lock for swinging gates



June 6, 1950 D. .JAMES` COMBINED LATCH AND Locx FOR swINGING GATES Filed April 2l, 1947 Ilm ||lll 5. "IUI,

I n vez/tor Lorenzo D. James Attorneys Patented June 6, 1950 COMBINED LATCH AND LOCK FOR SWINGING GATES Lorenzo D. James, Long Beach, Calif., assignor of one-fourth to Clara B. Moore, one-fourth to John R. Moore, and one-fourth to Ada M. James, all of Long Beach, Calif.

Application April 2l, 1947, Serial No. 742,777

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in combined latches and locks for swinging gates, the primary object in view being to provide means of simple form and inexpensive construction for latching and/or locking a swinging gate at both sides thereof against swinging in opposite directions and Without attaching any part of the means to the gate.

Other and subordinate objects, also, comprehended by my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements and the advantages thereof will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary View in side elevation illustrating my combined latch and lock, in a preferred embodiment thereof, applied with the straddle bars in latching position and the hold down bar in locking position;

Figure 2 is a View in vertical sections taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 3 is a View in longitudinal section taken in the line of 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a View in plan;

Figure 5 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, my invention, as shown therein is adapted for use with a gate I having a front end 2 and which is of the usual type mounted, in a manner not shown, to swing closed in opposite directions into line with a gate post 3.

According to my invention, latching devices for the gate I are provided in the form of a pair of straddle bars 4 spaced apart laterally to admit the front end 2 of the gate I therebetween and pivotally mounted at rear ends thereof, as presently described, on the gate post 3 to swing ver tically into and out of a substantially horizontal position in which the same straddle the front end 2 and latch said gate closed. The straddle bars 4 are for-med with front end cams 5 on the outer sides thereof of quadrant form in cross section and convex form longitudinally of said bars, said cams 5 being adapted to be engaged by the front end 2 oi the gate I when said gate is swung closed in opposite directions, respectively, and thereby cammed upwardly by said front end 2 to correspondingly swing said arms 4. A rear end stop lug 6, and a lateral rear end sleeve 'I are provided on each of the said bars 4, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The mounting for the straddle bars comprises an L-shaped bracket 8 including a back 9 with a bottom ledge Ill, side edged slots I l in said back 9, and a pair of upstanding side ears I2 on vthe ledge I0 between which a transverse pivot bolt I3 extends. The rear ends of the straddle bars 4 are interposed between said ears I2 with said bolt extending through the same and the sleeves I, said sleeves spacing said bars apart.

A clamp I4 secures the bracket 8 to the gate post 3 on the gate side thereof with the back 9 upright against said post, the ledge I@ extending toward said gate I and the pivot bolt extending horizontally and crosswise of said post. The clamp I4 comprises a pair of complemental right angled members I5 fitted one in the other and part way around said post 3 with a bolt EB fastening the same together and hooked ends Il inserted in the edge slots Il of the back 9 to hold said back firmly against said gate post 3. A bolt IB may be inserted through the back 9 into the gate post 3 as an auxiliary means for securing the bracket 8 to said post.

As will now be seen, with the bracket 8 secured to the said post 3 as described, the straddle bars 4 are arranged to swing downwardly, under the influence of gravity, into straddling latching relation to the front end 2 of the gate I to secure said gate against opening in either direction, and may be swung upwardly, independently, into inclined unlatching position from which the same will drop when released into the described straddling latching relation thereof. In this connection, downward swinging of said bars 4 is limited by engagement of the rear end stop ears 6 thereon with the ledge I0, when said bars assumes substantially horizontal position.

Means are provided for locking the straddle bars t against swinging into unlatching position, to thereby lock the gate I closed, and comprising the following.

A hold down bar IS with a pair of laterally spaced ears 20 extending from one side thereof and spaced inwardly from the ends of said bar is swingably mounted on the bracket 8 above the rear ends of the straddle bars 4 by cross bolts 2I extending through said ears 2B and a pair of upper side ears 22 on the back 9 of the bracket 8 interposed between the ears 2li. Thus said bar I9 is swingable about an axis parallel to the axis of swinging of the straddle bars 4 downwardly over the rear ends of said bars 4 to block swinging of said bars upwardly into unlatching position, as shown in full lines in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, said hold down bar being swingable upwardly and rearwardly against the gate post 3 into an idle position as shown in dotted lines in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In its down swung, hold down position, a pair of end apertures 23 in said bar I9 register with a pair of apertures 24 in right angled ends 25 of the ears I2 so that a padlock shackle 26 may be inserted through the ends of said hold down bar I9 and the ears I2 from either side of the gate I. be locked in latching position in a manner which will be clear.

The operation of the described invention will be readily understood from the foregoing and the following. When the gate I is swung closed, one or the other of the straddle bars 4, depending upon the direction in which said gate is swung, is cammed upwardly into unlatching position to permit the front end 2 of said gate I to pass the unlatched straddle bar 4 and abut the other of said bars 4 which is normally swung down in latching position. As said end 2 of gate I passes the unlatched straddle bar 4, said bar falls into latching position and the gate I is latched between said straddle bars. The straddle bar 4 on either side of the gate may be swung upwardly, manually, to unlock the said gate l for opening in one direction. Also, both straddle bars 4 may be swung upwardly into unlatching position, manually in unison to unlatch the gate I for opening in either direction. The manner in which the gate I is adapted to be locked has a1- ready been described.

The foregoing, will it is believed, suice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification, without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein re- Thus, the straddle bars 4 may 4 served to such modifications as found in the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A latch for attachment to a gate post to secure a gate adapted to be closed by swinging in opposite directions respectively said latch comprising'an attaching bracket with a bottom ledge having upturned sides terminating in a pair of outstanding apertured ears, a pair of latch bars adapted to straddle one edge of the gate and pvoted at corresponding ends thereof on the sides of the kbracket to be swung independently between said sides into down swung latching position on said ledge and into upswung unlatching positions respectively, and a hold down bar with laterally spaced ears intermediate its ends pivoted on said bracket for downward swinging of said bar over said ears and pivoted ends of said latch bars, the ends of said hold down bar being apertured to register with the apertures in said ears in pairs at opposite sides of the gate and adapted for use in padlocking said hold down bar to said bracket at opposite sides of the latch selectively.

LORENZO D. JAMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

